The April FireWise Home of the Month is from Eastern Arkansas and belongs to Mike and Sharon Taylor of Wynne, Arkansas.

The Taylors bought this 12 acres in the winter of 1997 and immediately began thinning trees and clearing underbrush. Reducing the fuel available to support fire is ALWAYS important.

Eliminating ladder fuel close to the home allows the homeowner to keep his beautiful trees intact and still be FireWise.

The driveway is adequately sized to give emergency vehicles access, and the address is clearly marked on the mailbox.

Because the home faces a slope on one side, it requres more than 30 feet of defensible space on that side. Remember, fire burns uphill at a much faster and more furious pace, so slopes always require more defensible space than flat ground.

The Taylors even have a FireWise barn!